But by evening the Frenchman and the Belgians had been taken away to be held in prison until the end of the war, and for two days the highly efficient local secret-service staff kept the rest of us under its watchful care.

After that, though, the American consul, Robert J.Thompson, succeeded in convincing the military authorities that we were not dangerous.
I still think that taking copious baths and getting ourselves shaved helped to clear us of suspicion..